Although I heard TCU rumors while I was still in Omaha, it wasn't exactly the school I imagined Christian would be heading to. I guess Daily Kent Stater Assistant Sports Editor Joe Harrington's column didn't appeal to him.

While I can understand why Jim Christian jumped ship, it still leaves me scratching my head.

It's that time of year where the Jim Christian circus will begin to take shape. it's not like there hasn't been grumblings all season about his possible departure. Heck, last year he was all but gone to Utah. Yet in the end was beaten out by former Michigan State assistant and NBA assistant Jim Boylen and forced to stay with the Flashes.

Not like that was a bad thing. Christian earned his sixth straight season of 20-plus wins or more in his sixth year as a head coach. That's pretty impressive. Before the ugly loss to UNLV I heard more of a debate of where he is heading then whether he is staying. It is funny how quick 20 minutes of bad basketball can change things.

Although that ugly, ugly first half of the NCAA Tournament is the last we’ll see of the 2007-2008 Kent State men’s basketball team, let’s not forget how good of a team they were getting to the tournament. Here is a short list of just some of the accomplishments:

 Kent State earned its first ever in-season ranking by knocking off No. 23 St. Mary’s 65-57 in an ESPN Bracketbuster game Feb. 23. The road win propelled them to 23rd in the Associated Press Poll and 24th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

Akron Firestone graduate Jermail Porter went to St. Louis in hopes of becoming the first Kent State wrestler to earn All American Status since 1986. Unfortunately, It will be atleast another year before any Kent State wrestler can try again.

After losing in the Championship bracket the heavyweight earned two consecutive victories in the wrestleback bracket placing himself one win away from All America status (the top eight in his weight class).

By nine o'clock the Kent State men's basketball team was well on its way back to Ohio. Unfortunately, they were unable to stay and watch two former Flashes battle Wisconsin as members of the 14th-seeded Cal State-Fullerton team. Wisconsin held on to win 71-56 in the nightcap at Qwest Center Omaha.

Fullerton senior forward Scott Cutley was a starter on the Kent State 2004-2005 team that went 20-13 and earned an NIT bid. He was a two year letter winner for the Flashes, who averaged 7.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in the 2004-2005 season before transferring.

Well, Kent State dominated the Mid-American Conference this season. They dominated the MAC Tournament. They beat St. Marys in ESPN's BracketBuster game. Kent State earned the right to go dancing Thursday.

If the NCAA Tournament is the "Big Dance" then one could say Kent State must have two left feet. Kent State got absolutely crushed 71-58 by UNLV at the Qwest Center Omaha. The 10-point first quarter the Flashes labored through earned Kent State the dubious honor of tying a modern day NCAA Division I record for futility. It was just as painful, if not more painful, to watch here in person.

Anyone who made the 13-hour drive to Omaha for the Kent State game has to be disappointed at halftime. The Flashes can't buy a bucket. The are playing so poorly that when sophomore guard Chris Singletary spun his way inside and connected on a basket with three minutes and 53 seconds left in the first half the crowd became uproarious. After all, it was Kent State's first basket in nearly seven minutes. The Flashes shot a dismal 5-24 (20.8 percent) in the first half, 0-7 from 3-point range and 0-2 from the free throw line. It's downright ugly in Omaha.